Highland Park 100 Year Documentary (2018)

The Highland Park 100 Year Anniversary documentary is a visually stimulating look at the city known for putting the world on wheels. The creation of the moving assembly line in Highland Park Michigan by Henry Ford made it possible for the common man to afford a car. This film shows the challenges that the city of Highland Park faced over its 100 year history and the tenacious nature of its citizens. Rare archival footage coupled with the voices of former Mayors Michael Glusac, Martha Scott, Linsey Porter, DeAndre Windom and others, weaves the intricate story of the rise and fall of what was once considered the model city of the United States. Single family homes, high paying jobs and world class schools attracted people from all over the world to Highland Park Michigan. The city of trees, as it was known, grew by over 1000% in the early 19th century and the ingenious engineers and workers that lived in Highland Park led the country to victory in WWII. During the late 80's the city began to decline. It lost both the Ford and Chrysler world headquarters, and the once prestigious school system was unsustainable. The crime rate rose and retailers moved out as the citizens struggled to stay afloat. Most of the once beautiful well-maintained homes have been abandoned and the police department is stretched thin in its effort to maintain law and order. However, the citizens of Highland Park, passionately known as "Parkers", remain tight-knit and still have pride in this historic city. In the second half of this film we take a look at the innovative ways that the citizens of Highland Park are coming together to bring this once beautiful city back to its full glory.